Studio-chair.



w. P. FOLMER.

STUDIO CHAIR.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 10, 1910.

Patented Oct. 7, 1913.

stair mar onion WILLIAM F. FOLMER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR '10EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

STUDIO'GHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. *7, 1913.

declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to thereference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to furniture and it has for its object toprovide a seat, chair or other body support for infants or children bymeans of which they can be supported in an upright sitting postureotherwise unobtainable because of weakness or a general disinclinationon the part of the occupant to assume and retain such a.

position.

The invention further has particular reference for providing a device ofthis nature that can be conveniently and usefully employed in the studioof portrait photographers to assist them in gaining the desired poses ofchild subjects without necessitating the appearance of an attendant tothe child in the photograph.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvementsand combi nations of art all as will be hereinafter more fully escribed,the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of thespecification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view taken from a rearwardpoint of a body support in the nature of a chair constructed inaccordance with and illustrating one embodiment of m invention, a childbeing shown in positlon therein; Fig. 2 is a perspective view from aforward point with the parts in practically the same positions ofadjustment; Fig. 3 is a central vertical section through the chair backand adjacent portion of the bottom, and Fig. 4: is an enlarged detailfront elevation of the waist supporting clamps.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several figures indicate thesame parts.

In the present exemplary embodiment of the invention a chair or seat isshown comprising, as to the general elements, a bottom 1 and backsupport 2 only, it being intended that the chair be placed upon the seatof a larger chair or table in lieu of providlng legs or other supportingparts. The chair should preferably be invisible and by this structurecan be used as well when it 1s desired that the occupant be representedas sitting on the floor, for instance.

It is desirable that the chair'be of knockdown construction forconvenience in packlng and shipping and to this end the lower portion ofthe back has an open slot 3 that sets within an opening 4 in the rear ofthe seat, being secured to the latter preferably by a bolt 5 and thumbscrew or nut 6 that is received within the slot 3. Ext-ending verticallyand preferably centrally, of the back, is a slot or guide 7 throughwhich extends from front to rear a bolt or spindle 8 having a head 9rigid therewith and disposed on the front face of the back, while therearwardly projecting end has a threaded engagement with a clampingwheel or member 10. The head 9 is provided on its rear face withparallel transverse guides 11 to receive the shank portions 12 of waistsupporting arms 13 disposed at either side of the chair. These arms arepreferably curved inwardly approximately as shown to conform as nearlyas possible with the body of the child and after being widened toreceive the latter are pressed inwardly toward each other beneath thechilds arms in the region of the waist and hold it against swayingmovement, at the same time supporting it beneath the arm pits if sodesired.

The shank portions 12 embody racks 14 meshing upon opposite sides of apinion 15 loosely mounted on the spindle 8 between the guides 11 and arethereby connected for simultaneous movement during their lateraladjustments so that other than a symmetrical disposition thereof isimpossible and the occupant is held centrally on the seat. To secure thearms in their various positions of adjustment the clampingmember 10,loosened during their adjusting movement is tightened to react againstthe rear of the back and thereby draw the head 9 rearwardly to clamp theshank portions 12 between it and the front face of the back, as will bereadily seen from an inspection of Fig. 3. This same clamping action isalso utilized to adjust the arms bodily and in utilizes: its clothingto! attach it to the back support. To this end an opening 16 is formedin; the latterwith which the slot 7 communicatesto form in. effect arestricted portion thereof and in use an end of the childs garmentispassedthrough such open-- ing and wedged. down within the slot. To

jmcludmg a back having a vertical slot orfurther insure its retention Iprefer to provide an additional. securing member in the present formof'a preferably resilient plate or lever 17 which is pivotally mountedon; the spindle 8 between. the clamping member lOwand the back support-It is thus permitted to swing transversely of the slot 7' and to furtherwedge the rearwardly projec-ting portion: of the garment between itselfand the rear face of the back support, as is clearly shown in Ifiig. 1,the cloth of the garment being indicated by the numeral 18; The clampingmemberlO is also obviously common to this part, but to prevent too loosea movement thereof and also to allow its operation while sufficientclamping pressure is communicated to the-head 9 to prevent the attendantstructure from slip-- ping down the slot 7, it is preferable tointerpose a spring 19 between thesecuring and clampingmembers, as shownin Fig. 8, the same being housed within a recess 20- in the latter toexert its yielding pressure a little inadvance of'the ultimate rigidcontact produced.

' It is obvious that my invention could be used apart from the exactcombination shown with a chair or seat as the back sup port, suitablymounted, might clearly be used; alone with its; attachments to hold thechild in a standing position. I also wish to make mention of the fact ofitsbeing plain that the opening 16 in the back support: for 1' theinitial insertion of the clothing need not be entirely inclosed, asshown, asit might be open at the top without destroying the function ofthe converging portion adjacent the slot 7 which directs the materialwithin the latter.

I claim as my-invention:

1. A body support comprising'a back provided with an opening embodyingan enlarged portion through which a part of the clothing of the occupantmay be passed and a relatively restricted portion or communieating slot,adapted to subsequently receive and wedge the clothing, a pair of rigidwaist sua ortin arms dis osed at o osite sides 1 p a F of the back and acarrying member therefor adjustable in the slot. 2. A body supportcomprising a back pro vided with an opening embodying an enlargedportion through which a part of the clothing of the occupant may bepassed and a relatively restricted portion or communicating slot adaptedto subsequently receive and Wedge the clothing, a pair of rigid waistsupporting arms disposed at opposite sides 1 of the back and laterallythereof, a carrying member therefor adjustable in the slot in the backand-a securing member pivoted tov the carrier to move across the'backtransversely of the slot to wedge. aprojectingportion of jsuchv clothingbetween it and: the back.

3. The combination with a body support gguid'e therein, of a verticallyadjustable spindle extending throughv theslet and proivided with. a headon: one: side of the back,

a pair of waist supporting arms arranged at either side ofthe: support.having shank V portionsembodying rack bars guided in the head, a gearloosely mounted on the spindle I tocooperate-with. both rack bars and:insure l simultaneous lateral ad usting movements of the arms inopposite directions,- and a clamping member engaging the. spindle onjtheother side and reacting against the latter to lock the shank portions ofthe arms between the head and backagainst both vertical and lateralmovement. 7

4. The combination with' a -body support through the back and provided;with a head the support having shank portions embodying rackbarsguided-1n the head, a gear iloosely mounted on the spindle to cooperateg with both rack bars and insure simultaneous lateral adjustingmovements of the arms in jopposite directions and a clamping memberjengaging the'spindle on the other side of the'back and reacting againstthe latter-to lock the shank portions of; the: arms between the head andback in their different positionsof lateral adjustment. r V 5. Thecombination with a body support including a back, of a spindle extendingon one-side of the latter, a pair of" Waist; supportlng arms arranged ateither side of. V

.including aback, of a spindle extending through the back and providedwith a head on one side ofthe-latter, 'a pair of waist supporting armsarranged at either side of the support having shankportions guided be- 5neat-h the head to permit lateral adjustment of the arms in oppositedirections and a clamping member engaging the spindle on the other sld'eof the back and reacting against the latter to lock the shank portionsof the arms between the'head' and back in a restricted portion orcommunicating slot adapted to receive and wedge the clothing of theoccupant.

7 The combination with a body support including a chair back providedwith a restricted opening or slot adapted to receive and wedge theclothing of the occupant, of a securing member movable across the backtransversely of the slot to wedge a projecting portion of such clothingbetween it and the back.

8. The combination with a body support including a back provided with arestricted opening or slot adapted to receive and wedge the clothing ofthe occupant, of a spindle extending through the back and provided witha head on one side of the latter, a pair of waist supporting armsarranged at either side of the support having shank portions guidedbeneath the head to permit lateral adjustment of the arms in oppositedirections, a clamping member engaging the spindle on the other side ofthe back and reacting against the latter to lock the shank portions ofthe arms between the head and back and a securing member pivoted on thespindle to swing transversely of the slot to wedge a projecting portionof such clothing between it and the back the securing member beingarranged between the clamping member and back to be retained in positionby the beforementioned clamping action.

WILLIAM F. FOLMER.

Witnesses:

RUSSELL B. GRIFFITH, LUCY A. VAN Coon'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

, Washington, D. 0.

